Container cap

ABSTRACT

A container cap for use on an open top container having an upper end portion with an upper rim surface. The container cap is adapted to be mounted and sealed thereon, such that only a lift tab and a spaced apart peripheral segment extend beyond the outer edge of the upper rim surface. The non-extended edges of the cap adjacent the sides of the lift tab provide for the easy removal of the container cap in one piece upon manual lifting of the tab.

[0001] This is a continuation of U.S. design patent application Ser. No. 29/162,331, filed Jun. 13, 2002.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] This invention relates generally to container caps and, more particularly, to container caps having lift tab openers.

BACKGROUND ART

[0003] Container caps with lift tab openers are well-known in the market place. Some are heat-sealed onto a container, for example, in the prior art FIG. 1 of U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 09/709,925. Others are screw caps, such as found on orange juice and milk gallon and half gallon jugs, with a peripheral skirt connected by a weakened line around the bottom edge of the screw cap, and having a lift tab extending downwardly therefrom.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0004] A general object of the invention is to provide an improved cap and lift tab opener for a container, such as a bottle or other type of container.

[0005] Another object of the invention is to provide a container cap and a single lift tab which functions to readily remove the container cap from a container top in one easy manual lifting operation of the lift tab.

[0006] A further object of the invention is to provide a container cap adapted to register with and be sealed on a container top and having a partial skirt and a lift tab spaced apart and extending therefrom, serving to enable the cap to be removed from the container top in one easy manual lifting operation.

[0007] A still further object of the invention is to provide for use on a container top a container cap having a solid central portion which conforms to the area encompassed by the container top, a partial skirt portion integral with and extending from the central portion, and a single lift tab integral with and extending from the central portion apart from the partial skirt portion, with an edge of the solid central portion exposed adjacent each side of the lift tab.

[0008] Still another object is to provide a further embodiment of the invention, wherein a partial length skirt is formed on the edge of the central portion intermediate each side of the lift tab and a longer skirt.

[0009] These and other objects and advantages will become more apparent when reference is made to the following drawings and the accompanying description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010]FIG. 1 is a plan view of the outer surface of a container top blank embodying the invention.

[0011]FIG. 2 is a plan view of the outer surface of a second alternate embodiment of a container blank.

[0012]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the FIG. 2 blank mounted on top of a container neck represented in phantom.

[0013]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the FIG. 1 blank mounted on top of a container neck represented in phantom.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0014] Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, FIG. 2 illustrates the outer surface of a container cap blank 10 of the invention, including a solid central portion 12, an extended peripheral portion 14, and an extended pointed portion 16.

[0015] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the blank 10 in FIG. 2 is mounted and sealed as a formed container cap 18 on a container upper end or neck portion 20, with the top rim surface of the latter being understood to be sealed directly beneath the peripheral ring 22 of the solid central portion 12. The ring 22 is sealed to the container rim in any suitable known manner. As shown, the extended peripheral portion 14 is formed into a loose skirt 24 around a portion of the outer surface of the container upper end portion 20, and the extended pointed portion 16 is formed as a bent-down lift tab 26, exposing a free edge 28 of the peripheral ring 22 adjacent each side 30 of the lift tab 26.

[0016] In the opening operation, by virtue of the non-interference provided by the free edges 28 being flush with the outer edge of the container top rim, manually lifting the lift tab 26 serves to readily permit the sealed ring 22 to be freed from the entire container top rim surface back to and including the loose skirt 24.

[0017] A series of tests have been run comparing the removal characteristics of the container cap 18 of FIG. 3 with the prior art cap 10 shown in FIG. 1 of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/709,925. Specifically the pounds of peel force required to remove the cap 18, wherein a first sealing temperature had been used, were 60% and 90% of that required for the cap 10 for two respective common cap materials. For a second higher sealing temperature, the pounds of peel force required for the cap 18 were 52% and 60% for the two respective materials. For a third highest sealing temperature, the pounds of peel force required for the cap 18 were 65% for both materials.

[0018] At the same time, through the range of tests, one-piece removal of the cap, without tearing, was flawless for the cap 18, so long as no delamination defect of the material was present.

[0019] The blank 32 of FIG. 1 and the mounted container cap 34 (FIG. 4) formed therefrom are similar to the FIGS. 2 and 3 arrangements, except that a skirt 36 shorter than the skirt 38 is formed adjacent each side 40 of the lift tab 42, in lieu of the free edges 28 shown in FIG. 3. The skirts 36 are deemed to be short enough to not interfere during the opening process, or result in tearing of the cap 34, when the lift tab 42 is manually lifted.

[0020] Industrial Applicability

[0021] It should be apparent the invention provides an improved, novel, and simplified container cap structure which may be efficiently and easily removed from the container top to which it is adhered, without any tearing of the cap, or undue struggling therewith, by the user of a container's contents.

[0022] It should be further apparent that variations in the contour and peripheral length of the skirtless or slightly skirted portions of the cap adjacent the sides of the lift tab are possible within the scope of this invention.

[0023] It is well known in the industry that the caps and their blanks may be formed, mounted and sealed onto bottle or other container top rims in a predetermined sequence, for example, from suitable heat-sealable web rolls upon which selected indicia may have been printed.

[0024] While two embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, other modifications thereof are possible within the scope of the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. For use on an open top container having an upper end portion and an upper rim surface, a contoured container cap adapted to be mounted and sealed thereon, wherein only spaced apart lift tab and peripheral segments extend freely beyond the outer edge of the upper rim surface.
 2. The container cap described in claim 1, wherein said peripheral segment is adapted to be formed into at least one loose skirt around a portion of the upper end portion, and the lift tab is adapted to be bent downwardly.
 3. For use on an open top container having an upper end portion and an upper rim surface, a container cap comprising a solid central portion shaped to register at its outer peripheral edge with the container top rim surface and adapted to be secured thereto, a loose peripheral portion integral with the solid central portion adapted to be formed into a skirt around a predetermined portion of said upper end portion, and a spaced-apart lift tab integral with and extending from the solid central portion, wherein the portions of the outer peripheral edge adjacent the sides of the lift tab do not extend beyond the container upper rim surface, thereby providing for the easy removal of the container cap in one piece upon manual lifting of the tab.
 4. For use on an open top container having an upper end portion and an upper rim surface, a container cap comprising a solid central portion, a lift tab extending therefrom, and peripheral edge portions of shorter and longer lengths extending therefrom and adapted to be formed into respective skirts around said upper end portion, said shorter length skirts being adjacent the two side edges of said lift tab, wherein the cap is adapted to be removed in one piece from the upper rim surface upon the manual lifting of the lift tab. 